I’m a Certified Parent Coach

Helping parents build connection

I have some excited news to share. I’m officially a certified parent coach!

My training has included lessons on child development, brain science, secure attachment, breaking cycles, emotional regulation, coaching, and much more. The program I took is certified by the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Most importantly, this work is aligned to my heart’s greatest desire and my life purpose.

What is Parent Coaching?

Parent coaches are a mix of guide, mentor, and teacher. Without judgement, we support parents and caregivers through the ups and downs of parenting. Some programs call it peaceful parenting or positive parenting. My work is connection-based, which is both positive and peaceful. In connection-based parenting, a single question can help a parent decide what to do in situations – Will this create more connection with your child?

One Thing I Love About Parent Coaching

I’m a self-proclaimed smarty-pants and long-time family fixer from my family of origin dynamic. Neither of these are necessarily good things. A smarty-pants collects info and likes to know everything (also a Gemini trait). Unfortunately, we like to give unsolicited advice and solutions. The family fixer feels like they need to hold everything together. We anticipate problems before they happen and often try to prevent them, protect family members, or smooth things over. I’ve been healing this dysfunction for decades and mostly don’t identify with that role in my family of origin, but holy batwoman did it show up in my parenting, especially with a high-needs child.

I share this because one thing I love about parent coaching is that I’m not supposed to have an answer or solution for my coachee. In fact, I’m not supposed to give advice or talk about what I did as a parent at all. Why? I don’t know the child or the parent’s family of origin. I don’t know what on the table or subconsciously coming up. How the heck would I know what’s best for the family?

A Parent Coach’s Role

My role as a parent coach is to listen and guide the parent toward their own intuition and family values. I continuously study brain and child development to know how parenting choices affect our children throughout their lives. I know that some choices absolutely do not grow connection. I also know that many choices and responses do grow connection.

My role is also to hold a mirror up for my coachee, figuratively. I help them hear what they’re saying so they can have aha moments or decide if something they did – or might do – helps grow connection.

When we do this work, things from our childhood often come up to be noticed and healed. I believe that reparenting is intertwined with parenting. We cannot stop things from coming up and likely shouldn’t want to.

Working Toward a Goal

Like most coaching, the purpose is to work toward and achieve a goal. That goal could be managing BIG behaviors, reducing the stress of parenting, setting boundaries, or 1,000 other things. A coachee doesn’t need to know what the goal is – we figure that out. They only need to know they don’t have to do it alone. I am here to support them!

If you’d like to know more about my coach, Sarah, check out the free resources on her site or her book.

Working with Me

My coaching site isn’t built yet, but if you know someone who would like a free consultation, have them email me. (You can call me or text me for my email too.) *It’s advised we don’t coach friends because we’re too close to be objective. But if you’re close to me and need help, I know some great coaches ;)